(Untitled)

[t_x_unit]

WHO: 'Samantha'/Kirk.
WHAT: The T-X was notified by Kirk that he wants to meet her, after all. She wants his advanced knowledge.
WHERE: Kirk's room, the foolBeing allowed to choose the location for meeting was easy. The machine wanted somewhere optimised to place him at the greatest of ease, while simultaneously being private. The incident where

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[goldn_boy]

"Come in," Jim called, lounging on his bed. Samantha could have her primary targets and her plans--Jim had cookies. By rights, he should have been well on his way to very ill by now.

He was very suspicious of Samantha, and wasn't entirely off his guard. But he didn't see any reason to inform her of that right off; if she was a danger, he'd keep an eye out, but until then she was to be given the benefit of the ever-dwindling doubt.

[goldn_boy]

Okay. Now Jim got serious; he grabbed her wrists hard, and put all his force and training into pushing her off him without hurting her. And he was in pretty good shape.

"I said 'no,'" he said, firmly, his expression now quite hard.

Notifications!

[t_x_unit]

It was common for Federation crews of his era to be undergoing frequent martial arts practice, but while he succeeded in his goal, she landed like a cat. A creature of perfect balance and poise.

And was swiftly rising back to standing position, undeterred.

"You're refusing to help our community, Jim. You're disallowing us vital equipment to escape."

[goldn_boy]

Jim scrambled to his feet once freed. She was abnormally strong--and abnormally agile.

"I'm refusing to let you try to manipulate me," he said. "I'm not disallowing you anything. Hell, I'll make out with you if it's something we both want. But the community is what's on my mind. And even if I could, I'm not making weapons available to anyone I don't trust."

He fixed her even more firmly with his gaze.

"And I'm sorry, but I don't trust you."

[t_x_unit]

For a moment, the machine hovered in uncertainty. Those nearby sheets would make for a great tool to strangle him with. But that would not liberate the knowledge from his mind and, most importantly of all, there was this new clarification of unwillingness to make weapons for anyone not trusted.

Therefore, she had to make him trust her.

Or manipulate someone else.

Or just threaten them to gain emotional leverage...

With a virtually schizophrenic, "I see. Thank you for explaining," Samantha straightened spine, flattened clothing and turned, military-style, back to the door she had entered through. Starting to leave as if nothing had happened, with not a single hair out of place.

[goldn_boy]

"Wait."

This was probably idiotic, Jim thought. There was something deeply wrong here, but he wasn't about to let her go off and be wrong elsewhere. And maybe she did mean well, and just needed... help.

"Who are you?"

[t_x_unit]

She came to a halt, head turning.

"Samantha. You already know this."

[goldn_boy]

"And that's all I know," he said calmly. "If you want me--if you want anyone here--to trust you, you're going to have to give more than that."

[t_x_unit]

The machine did not suffer from drawbacks of repeated frustration. There was only the possibility of success and, now that bait was offered, it was taken.

"More? But this wouldn't help you, Jim. Equipment helps us."

[goldn_boy]

"You seem to be missing some of the key components to social interaction," Jim said plainly. "Which leads me to believe that you've either spent your entire life in a place where they don't exist or that you're fundamentally different from most people I know. Some people are. Where I'm from, that could mean a number of things. It would help me to know more about you."

She was an alien. Or maybe even an android--a less tractable one than Andrea, maybe. She wasn't human, Jim was convinced, unless her upbringing had been very, very strange.

[t_x_unit]

"I grew up in the war. I specialised in military security. Family bonds are easily fractured and friends do not survive for long. Fun is difficult to encounter. Working is important. Knowledge of computers is important."

A pause, head tilting.

"Does this answer your questions?"

Which, of course, it didn't. The machine was interpreting it as a need to supply additional biographical details to allay his suspicions. She was making statements like an automated sales pitch, not exhibiting emotion like she had earlier.

Everything was placed in categories. The T-X wasn't seeing a need to re-access emotional processing.

[goldn_boy]

"Right," Jim said, not at all reassured. The switching between moods, between information and mood, all of it was highly disturbing. Like a very limited decision matrix was being consulted. Which, frankly, didn't rule out alien life or trauma of some kind.

But he didn't trust it.

"I would hope I don't have to say this. But if anyone here is hurt by anyone else, I'm going to take it personally."

[t_x_unit]

"Take it personally. Yes."

Just that same blank smile of before.

"If anyone gets hurt. By anyone else."

A pause for all of five seconds.

"Are you going to give me your knowledge now? I promise not to hurt anyone with it. You can trust me, Jim. I don't hurt people."

[goldn_boy]

Jim watched her, everything in him tingling with danger signals entirely apart from the attempted abuse.

"No, I don't think I am," he said. "When I have knowledge that I think will help everyone, I will make it known. I promise."

[t_x_unit]

"It will help everyone, Jim. I will assist you in realising this."

A pointed look was made at a nearby piece of furniture. Outwardly, for no apparent reason. Internally, taking measurements of each potentially separable element. Gauging it for the possibility of maximum damage.

Then head realigned with his direction and she looked him up and down, similarly. Something done before, but now undertaking a much more detailed analysis of measurements.

Something was going on in her mind...

"I will assist you in realising this, very much."

[goldn_boy]

"Um, thanks," he said. "But in the meantime, I think you should know that most people don't like being accosted sexually."

What was she thinking? What was going on in that mind? More importantly, did she pose a danger? Jim thought she did. He also thought now would be a bad time for everyone to turn on one another.